There are lots of roads to get you to where you want to go in life. Closing one door opens another, so a “bad” choice really is just an opportunity to explore something new.

How to Host the Perfect Dinner Party

Parties are an incredible way to meet new people and grow your network.

Contrary to what people think, you don’t need to throw a massive rager with hundreds of people — or be rich or successful — to host them.

Keith’s dinner parties are famous for building lifelong friendships, massively beneficial business relationships, and overall fun.

But Keith’s parties didn’t start out as a list of who’s who in Hollywood Hills…

Instead, Keith’s original dinner parties were hosted from his one bedroom apartment.

To help you throw a perfect dinner party regardless of where you host, here are Keith’s tips:

Greet people with kindness and openness: As soon as someone arrives, welcome them with a hug and offer a drink. It might sound basic, but it will make guests feel incredibly welcome

Set the tone: Let them know where they’re free to wander around, show them cool stuff in your place, and definitely give them the heads-up where the bathroom is. These small details make a huge difference so your guests feel comfortable

Facilitate interactions: Pre-planned question cards to create conversion, or purposefully putting certain people next to each other is a great way to create genuine, authentic interactions

Keith’s dinners start with 30 minutes of small talk, but really gets going when he kicks off a discussion he calls “Personal and Professional Check-ins.”

Personal and Professional Check-ins allow guests to open up and be vulnerable by sharing what’s going on in their lives at the moment.

Keith always starts to set the tone by sharing some struggles in his life. His vulnerability acts as an invitation for everyone else to share authentically — aka without the fake "I'm doing great!" defenses most people put up.

Don’t be afraid to show your vulnerabilities and be authentic. If you can let your guard down, you’ll forge tighter, more rewarding relationships.

How to Connect with Anyone You Want

“If I want to meet someone, I just do it.”

Keith has reached a stage in his life where he’s comfortable reaching out and connecting with anyone — and he’s built an incredibly successful career by doing so.

It’s easy for Keith to do, but what about YOU? What if you’re just starting out? How can you connect with anyone?

Keith broke down the process into three super simple steps:

Create a list: Put everyone you want to meet on a list. If possible, keep your list niche so everyone has a few commonalities (e.g. entrepreneurs, or marketers, or people who like to surf)

Share your list whenever you can: Tell your friends what types of people you’re looking to invite to your dinner party. If they don’t fit the bill, maybe they can put you in touch with someone who can

Create value for the people you want to meet: How can you connect with the people you want to meet? Maybe you can reach out to people you admire and offer them free business strategies. Maybe you can browse around on Meetup or LinkedIn

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8 responses to “How to Become Friends with VIPs, Celebrities, and Famous Entrepreneurs: Lessons from Keith Ferrazzi”

Jacqueline Garlick

January 7, 2018 at 11:56 am

So, I could, like...get Neil Gaiman to come to a dinner party, and say... his agent? LOL Great stuff her Noah. Just dropping you a note to share that I've been listening and I'm giving your podcast a shameless plug today on my NEWLY revamped website (newly revamped over something you said). http://www.jacquelinegarlick.com if you wanna check it out. Enjoy! Maybe we'll have dinner sometime!

Very good episode!
I liked the part about greeting everyone with kindness and openness. We do that with our close friends and family. There is no reason not to do it with everyone, and show that you care about them.
I got the book on audible a few days prior, and it is now queued up next on my play list. Will post my feedback once I finish listening to it.
Currently listening to "Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod, which is awesome in it's own right 🙂